The use of wireless communication systems through which to communicate is widespread. In a wireless communication system, a radio link is utilized upon which to form a communication path between a set of communication stations formed of at least a sending station and a receiving station. In contrast to a conventional, wireline communication system that requires fixed, wired connections to be maintained between the sending and receiving stations that are parties to a communication session, communications are possible through use of a wireless communication system even when the communication stations are positioned at locations that are not permitting of wired connections. A mobile communication system is also implementable as a mobile communication system in which one or more of the communication stations parties to a communication session are permitted mobility.
Various types of wireless communication systems have been developed and deployed, utilized by many to effectuate many different types of communication services. A cellular communication system is exemplary of a wireless radio communication system. Successive generations of cellular communication systems have been developed and deployed, taking advantage of technological advancements in communication technologies as they become available.
So-called, first generation cellular communication systems generally utilized analog communication techniques and provided for only limited data communication services. Successor-generation cellular communication systems make use of digital communication techniques and provide for increasingly data-intensive communication services.
Increasingly, data that is communicated pursuant to effectuation of a communication service is communicated in the form of data packets that are communicated at discrete intervals. Communication of data in packet form permits bandwidth allocated to a communication system to be efficiently utilized.
Standardized packet formatting schemes are generally utilized in packet communications. An Internet protocol (IP) packet formatting scheme is exemplary of a formatting scheme that has achieved high levels of usage. And, generally, Internet protocol-based signaling, and applications and technologies utilizing such signaling, is of significant interest in evolving cellular communication technologies. The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) technology forums are presently considering standardized procedures with respect to various IP-based services. Of particular interest here are specifications related to IP-based location services for wireless communications.
Currently-proposed and existing procedures related to IP-based location services require that a mobile station always first directly signal a home position server in its home network pursuant to a location service. Signaling to the home network of the mobile station provides for administrative control over procedures, particularly with respect to authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) procedures. The need to signal the home network when the mobile station is roaming beyond its home network into a serving network is otherwise quite inefficient, particularly when the mobile station roams significant distances beyond its home network. Authorization from a position server in the mobile station is required for each and every request made by the mobile station, wherever positioned.
A location service necessitates the identification of the position of the mobile station. The position identification information is provided by a position server located in, or accessible by, the network in whose coverage area that the mobile station is positioned. The need always first to signal the position server of the home network of the mobile station when the position identification information is provided by the position server associated with the serving network, i.e., the network in whose coverage area that the mobile station is positioned is time-consuming, signaling-intensive, and complex.
If a manner could be provided by which to obviate the need of the mobile station to signal its home network each time in which the mobile station requests a location service, improved communication performance would be possible.
It is in light of this background information related to location services in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.